Exchange-receptacle for merchandise.



E. S. WARREN.

EXCHANGE RECEPTACLE FOR MERCHANDISE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. I917.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.,

INVENTOR. Edward S. why-Ten BY -Zflfiiflgfi med ATTORNEYS.

WITNESS:

' To all whom it may concern:

5; run STATES PATENT mes.

EDWARD SAMUEL WARREN, OF SAN IERANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. v

EXCHANGE-RECEPTACLE FOR MERCHANDISE.

Be it known that I, EDWARD SAMUEL WAR- BEN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California,have invented new anduseful Improvements in Exchange-Receptacles for Merchandise, of which the following-is a specification.

This invention relates to receptacles for exchanging packages of merchandise, and more particularly bottled goods. The de- 'as he deliversone or more bottles of milk to a'home' on one day collects at the same time the empty bottles resulting from the previous" days supply. In practice, the householder frequently forgets to place'the empty bottles here theycan be conveniently collected by the tradesman with the result that they accumulate in such numbers as totax the supply of bottles kept on hand by the tradesman and are also liable to become broken or lost. Even when the householder does remember to return the'empty bottles he places them out of doors several hours previous to the trad'es'mans coming with the danger of their being stolen. 1

The object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle for both empty and filled bottles wherebyit becomes necessary for the householder to place an empty bottle therein before the filled bottle can beremoved, and similarly before, the tradesman or others can remove anempty bottle it is necessary to first deposit =.a filled bottle therein. v

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying .drawings, in which- The figure shows a vertical central sec tional view of a -device embodying my invention.

i The device herein shown and described in its present formcomprises a cabinet 10 havl Specification oilLetters Patent.

' Patented Mar.18,1919.

Application filed October 29, 1917. Serial No. 198,910.

ing a partition 11 dividing itinto'two compartments A and B, each closed by means of a vertically sliding door 12 opening downward by gravity, the doors beingpreferably arranged at opposite sidesofthe cabinet. The cabinetis adapted to be suspended from nails or hooks on a wall or other support- Within each compartment is a depressible member 13, shown in the form of apedestal,

upon which a bottle is placed, each-pedestal.

being arranged upon a stem 14 extending through the bottom of'the cabinet and slidable vertically therein. At the lower end of each-stem is a lever 15: fulcrumed' on a support 16 centrally of the cabinet and extending to'the "opposite side where it connects through a link 17' iwith'a bell crank lever 18. On the outer end of the bell crank leveris formed a hook 19 for cooperation with a lug 20 on the adjacent sliding door. The connections are such that when the pedestal is depressed by the weight thereon the'bell crank lever has its hoo projecting out of the path. of the lug. 1 A. Adjacent each door-and at the bottomiof the cabinetis a pivotedlatch 21 for cooperation with a second lug 22 on the door and this latch is normally projected into thepath'of its lug by means of a weightedlever 23 extending across to the opposite sides where its end lies in the path of a projection'24t on the adj acentdoor. These levers are pivotally mounted on pins 26 held by brackets 27 extending downwardly from the bottom of the cabinet and in: parallel relation to each other, the outer end of the levers being fitted with pivoted links 28 which connect them with the latch members 21,- When one of the doors isclosed the projection 24 thereon lifts the cooperating lever 23 and thereby moves the connecting latch 21 into inoperative position. The door whose latch 21 has thus been released, assuming its hook 19 has also been released by reason of the bottle having beenpreviously placed in the opposite compartment, will thereupon fall to open position. In so doing it allows its cooperating lever 23 to lower and retain theconnecting latch 21in operative position. v

In operatlon and assuming the; parts are in the position shown inthe draw1ng,;wh1ch is the condition after the .tradesman has deposited a-filledbottle' in compartment A and closed the door thereof, it will be seen that the door of the latter compartment is locked both by the hook 19 and "latch 21. A mere closing of the door of compartment B Will have the effect of releasing only the latch 21 of the opposite door. locking the closed door it is necessary that an empty bottle, as shown in dotted lines, be

placed on the pedestal in compartment B in order that its Weightmay act 'to release the hook I19 011 the door of the opposite compartmen t. Therefore, two things are necesarrange a cone-shaped boss 25 upon the pedsary ,to open a closed and locked door, nan'iely, the presence of a Weight on the pedestal Within the opposite compartment and the closing of the .door of the latter.

To insure that the Weight in the case of compartment B shall be an empty bottle, I

v estal over which the open mouth of the in-v erted bottle :fits. Any other form of weight compartment B is now closed and locked and.

will notremain in place on the pedestal.

l Vhen the empty bottle has been put in place in comipartment B andthexdoor closed,

the-door ofcompartment A instantly opens and allows the latch '21 on the right-hand 1 side to move vinto engagement With the lug 22 :on the door ofcompantment B. The [full bottle in compartment A is then refmoved by thehouseholder. The door of I cannot be opened to gain access .tothe empty bottle until a full bottle is :placed in compartment A and the door :of .t'he latterclosed.

' The locking mechanism is preferably located entirely beneath the cabinet and inclosed by :a .fa lsezbottom C. i

The j foregoing described mechanism not only insuires security of the tilled and empty bottles. from theft and protection of the same fromcontaminationrand the elements, but is also an absolute 'check upon the exchange of empty bottles for "filled ones, and vice versa,ma-king it .necessary for the house- "holder to deposit an empty bottle in the receptacle before obtaining a filled one and likewise for the tradesman to :deposit a filled I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat- 1. An exchange receptacle for packages comprising duplex compartments, a door in each -ofsai1d compartments, a pair of latch devices for each of the doors, means in each com paatment requiring the "presence of a package to release one of the latches of the To succeed in un f other compartment, and means effected by the movement of the door of i-the other compartment to release the second latch device of the filled compartment.

2.'An exchange receptacle for packages comprising duplex compartments, a door for dise is {placed and operative by the Weight;

thereof to release the latch-onthe door of the opposite compartment and an auxiliary :latch "device for each of :the doors normally in operative position :but released by the movementrofthe' opposite door' :to closed position. 7 r

4. .Anexchange receptacle ,for packages of merchandise comprising duplex compartments, a door in each, a latch device for each of the doors, ad-epressible member. in eachv compartment adapted to receive :a' package, connections between each depressible member and the latch device on the door of the opposite compartment operative to :move the connected latclrdeviceto ineflecti e position when the member is depressed and an auxiliary latch device foreach door normally in operative position and controlling means therefor'comprising a Weighted-lever pr0- jecting into the path of the opposite :door and raised thereby when suchdoor is'in closed position to release its connected latch.

5. An exchange receptacle for packages of merchandise comprising -a cabinet divided into separate "compartments, a vertically slidable "door in each compartment opening downwardly by gravity, a depressible member in each compartment adapted to receive apackage of merchandise, alatch for each door moved co inoperative" position by depression of the member in the opposite compartment and an auxiliary latch for each door-normally in operative positiongand released by movement of the opposite door to closedposjition. p

'6; An exchange receptacle for' packages comprising duplicate inclosingf compartments, a door upon each compartment and by which the package is concealed, latch means for holding the doors in their .cicsed' posltlon, gravity operating means whereby the presence of a packagein one compartment will release the door in the opposite In testimony whereof I have hereunto set compartment and the absence of a package my hand in the presence of two subscribing in said opposite compartment will cause the locking of the door in the first-named comwitneses. partment, and complementary releasing EDWARD SAMUEL WARREN. means actuated by the closing of one of the Witnesses:

CARL H. SCHULTZ,

doors to complete the release of the other E. L. KEOHANE.

of said doors.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G 

